Gymnastics Headline

Thursday January 17, 2013Rachel Spicer: Ready for sophomore season

Living on your own for the first time always brings new
and unexpected experiences, for sophomore UF gymnast, Rachel Spicer, it is
exactly that, a new experience.

Spicer lives with fellow sophomore Kytra Hunter, and this
is the first experience of apartment living for the pair. Spicer enjoys living
outside of the dorms because now she has the tools, like a stove and
refrigerator, to cook what she likes.

While Spicer says she loves to cook, she admits that
Hunter is the more advanced cook. However, a mysterious mishap occurred during
one cooking adventure early into their lease.

“One day I was in my room and I saw something that looked
like lightening, so I walked out and the fire alarm started going off,” said
Spicer. “I don’t even remember what she was cooking, it might have been the
stove or the microwave, but we just went over to our neighbors and they helped
us out.”

As Spicer jokes about the smell that hung in the
apartment for a few days after, she moves to a more serious note. Roaches.

Hunter may be the more skilled cook, but Spicer is the
eradicator of the pest when it makes its appearance in their abode. She says
her Texas upbringing is why she fearlessly approaches each pest with the intent
to catch and release.

While it’s been fun and exciting living on her own for
the first time, Spicer also enjoyed her first preseason training with the Gator
team. Her first season with the Gators was flurry of new. She graduated from
high school early to enroll at UF for the spring semester. Just a week after
joining the team in late December of 2011, Spicer was competing for the Gators
in their 2012 season opener at NC State. And a few days after that, she was
sitting in her first college classroom. Having the fall preseason training with
the Gators has given her the opportunity to better prepare herself for the 2013
season.

Spicer has been working on strengthening her elbow since
hyper extending it before Thanksgiving. The injury limited her training for
about a month, but now she’s working to get back to full strength.

“It wasn’t too major, I’m coming back from it pretty
quickly,” said Spicer.

She is motivated to come back quickly to show in
competition the new skills added during off-season. Spicer has a new mount for
balance beam to give her some individuality within her routine, and changed her
floor dance to make it sharper.

She has even been giving advice to freshman gymnast,
Morgan Frazier, who just like Spicer a year ago, got to UF just days after
Christmas. Spicer’s advice includes relying on the team, relaxing and taking
advantage of the support system UF puts in place for all new student-athletes.

“I just keep reminding her that there is such a great
support system here,” said Spicer. “Not only your team and coaches, but on the
academic side. Everyone is just here to help.”

Spicer’s parents spent a lot of time at meets last year
to support their only child. This year Spicer says shouldn’t be any different.
Christmas brought her father so much Gator clothing that Spicer said he’ll need
to come to Gator gymnastics meets just to wear his new wardrobe additions.

Ranging from orange Gator pants to multiple t-shirts, and
her favorite, a light up Gator hat, Spicer said he will be showing his Gator
support wherever he goes; especially during the Alabama meet.

“I’m trying to talk them into coming to the Alabama meet,
because it’s going to be a great home meet,” she said.

Until
then, Spicer will be working on improving and refining her skills to help the
rest of the team as they look toward the key championship portion of the
campaign.